Chapter Twenty #2
Nero takes a seat and pulls the phone over. He doesn’t ask anyone to leave and quickly runs down where the rest of the council is. Blaze is keeping in touch with everyone on the comms in his ear. It amazes me how he can do five things at once.
I take a seat, swiping my hand down my face. How has my night gone from having a meal on the waterfront with a woman I have complicated feelings about, to this?
I can’t unhear the sound of her screams. After what she’s been through, losing him will break her.
Checking my phone, there is still nothing from Raven and I don’t have Kinsley’s number. They might not have reached the hospital yet but patience is not one of my virtues.
“Everyone keep your shit together,” Nero picks up the phone.
He doesn’t need to tell us that ordinarily, but this is no normal situation.
Nero holds the phone to his ear, and I glance at Stryker. I’ve seen him shut down before, but never this badly. He goes to church a lot. I’m not sure how much he interacts with Colton or Marisol.
A tinny voice answers, ‘yeah’ into the phone.
“This Viper?” Nero asks.
“Who’s this?” he answers.
Nero sets the phone down and puts it on speaker. “Blackhawk Disciples President.”
There is silence on the other end. “What the fuck you calling me for?”
“You know who we are?”
“Heard of you. What do you want?”
“I need to speak to your president.”
“Yeah well, you don’t get to decide that.”
There is some noise in the background, but it’s hard to make out. It doesn’t sound like he’s in a rowdy place.
“He’ll want to talk to me.”
“I’ll make that decision, Prez.”
Nero’s jaw clenches. “Tell him to call this number if he wants to hear about a third party bringing trouble your way.”
He hangs up without waiting for him to reply. It was a gamble, for sure. Time ticks by, the only sound is Blaze tapping away at his laptop. My phone buzzes and I tell Nero it’s Raven.
Raven:
He’s in surgery. They’ve told us they’ll do what they can, which is doctor speak for be prepared for bad news, right?
Raven:
Three of the guys are here with us. I’ll text when we hear more.
Raven:
She’s locked down and barely talking. I’ll stay as long as she needs me. I won’t leave her.
Raven:
I hope he’s okay. He’s a good guy, she will be heartbroken if anything happens River.
That isn’t what I want to hear. Knowing my sister will stay with her for as long as she needs makes it a little easier. I don’t know if I will get there. Or if she will want me to.
It’s because of the patch on my chest that her cousin is teetering on the verge of death. I can't blame her if she never wants to set eyes on me again. I’ve kept everything from her because that is how the club works, despite my efforts, she’s been dragged into it, in the worst way.
My stomach is in knots. I don’t like this feeling. I should be one hundred percent focused on what is happening here, but all I want to do is go to her.
The cell phone rings, jolting me out of thoughts on where I stand with Kinsley.
Nero lets it ring a couple of times. He doesn’t look at anyone when he answers.
“You wanted to talk to me, so talk.”
Blaze looks up from the laptop and scowls at his tone.
“You have men in Baltimore.”
Jackal takes a moment to reply. “Why do you say that?”
“Are you saying you don’t?”
“I never said either way. Why do you think I have men in Baltimore?”
Nero nods at Blaze, and he hits a few buttons on the laptop.
“I sent photos to your VP.”
“Cut to the chase, I don’t have time for bullshit.”
“Two men wearing your patch visited my house. It wasn’t friendly.”
Jackal goes quiet, longer this time. There is some talking in the background before he comes back. “You have them?”
“Not yet. But we will find them.” His meaning is clear.
“Are you asking me to sanction your next steps?”
“I’m not asking. I want to know if we will have a problem when we do.”
Blaze swings the laptop around. It shows a map and a light pinging in the center, he’s tracing the call. Jackal is in West Virginia.
Talking around what is happening here is necessary. You never can tell if phones have been tapped, so explicitly discussing murder can’t happen. Jackal understands that. Shows he's not a fucking moron. Even if I hate his fucking guts already.
“Explain the third party.”
Nero is careful about the information he gives, and Jackal listens quietly. Stryker puts both palms on the table and leans forward, staring at the phone as if he can reach through and break Jackal’s neck.
“He approached, but we weren't interested,” Jackal comes back. “He’s trying to get in with a different…company.”
He’s referencing the Kivisto’s. “We know about that company.”
Jackal pauses again, letting it sink in how much information we have. “If you decide to handle shit up there, it will be an issue between us.”
Fucking asshole.
“Thing is,” he goes on. “We’re busy right now with our own business dealings. If you handle things discretely, we won't have a problem.”
Jackal will never say explicitly we can kill his members.
This is as close as he’s willing to get, the unspoken words letting us know he isn’t happy he can’t have them.
But he has given us his verdict on the matter.
Don’t let on there is a problem between the two clubs, and he won’t come after us for killing the fuckers.
Everyone understands.
“The third party is also ours to deal with,” Nero says.
“I can’t guarantee I won’t step in if it comes to it.”
“This part is not a negotiation.”
“If I have to, I will.” He cuts off Nero before he can argue. “I'll hang on to your number, for future endeavors.”
Jackal hangs up. He won’t hesitate to take out Storm if he has to. He's given us some leeway, saying he will call us if he catches up to him first. Whether he gives us the courtesy of waiting is a different story.
That makes me hate the fucker, even if he is washing his hands of his men.
We are owed Storm’s death. Stupid members defecting is nothing compared to what we’ve been through.
Nero doesn’t want to stir up shit with our club and theirs any more than Jackal does. That went as well as we could expect in terms of club politics. All I care about is having the go ahead to deal with those bastards.
“Fuck that prick,” Nero voices what we’re all thinking. “We find those motherfuckers and deal with them tonight.” His tone leaves no room for disagreement. “What’s happening with Kivisto?”
“He never left the Drake, still have him on surveillance,” Blaze says.
“Get out on the streets, do it quietly. The cops are all over this. And the press will follow with a priest having been shot. Blaze, call in DiAngelo, we’re going to need a lawyer on standby.
Rebel, see what you can find out from inside the PD.
I want those men at the farm as soon as possible. ” He looks to Stryker.
“How do you want me to deal with them?”
“How do you think I want to deal with it?” Nero lifts a brow.
“Slowly, painfully.”
Nero nods and Stryker’s eyes flare with a spark of life at the idea of hurting those two men. He walks toward the door but stops when I speak.
“The one with the beard is mine when the time comes.” The one who was aiming for Kinsley until I got in the way. “Mine will be the last face that motherfucker sees.”
We spend the rest of the night and following morning handling the fallout. I’ve not been busy enough to forget about Kinsley, and Raven has kept me updated, but my focus has to be on protecting the club.
Kinsley is safe now.
The longer it goes on without going to her, the worse my stomach churns.
I won't go to her until I can tell her we’ve handled it.
Which comes sooner than I expect. Razer calls me to say they found them hiding out in an apartment, which unfortunately for them, is surrounded by tenants who are loyal to us.
They caught and had them beaten and tied up before Razer even got there.
Nero is dealing with the police so asks Stryker to handle it until we can all get up there together. I'm fucking burning to break some faces and plan to go up there anyway, but Raven calls to tell me the latest update. And verbally kick my ass.
“She needs to eat and get some rest. She’s barely closed her eyes in the last thirty-six hours. Colt is still under but the doctors have said that is so he can heal. They think he is going to be okay, barring any infection implications.”
“What about you?” I ask.
“Don’t avoid this, River. I don’t know what your relationship is with Kins, but you can’t run from it.”
“I haven’t been running from it, we’ve had shit to deal with.”
“She isn’t something that you need to deal with.
She is someone who needs you.” When I go quiet, she sighs heavily.
“Get over your worries about her hating the club. She hasn’t said anything about that.
In fact, I think she will ask you what you’re doing about it.
” Her voice is a little lighter when she goes on, tinged with amusement.
“I think Kinsley is darker than we thought.”
Hearing she might not blame me eases off my stupid insecurities, which I will never admit out loud.
Kinsley keeps her cards close to her chest, Raven could be reading her wrong.
“How difficult will it be to get her to leave for a little while?”
“Now would be a good time for it. The diocese has sent priests, they’re praying over him. I’m not all that bothered by religion, but even I find it weird. She’s not impressed, and that is putting it mildly.”
“Jesus.”
“Literally,” she laughs.
I tell her I’ll be there soon and not to mention it to Kinsley.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Raven asks.
“Best not to forewarn her. That way it’s me who gets the brunt of it if she wants to react, not you.”
“You’re such a hero, Rebel.”
“Shut up.”
She hangs up on me. Taking a deep breath, I pull my shit together and head out. When I take her out of the hospital and away from Colton, I’ll be the bad guy again.